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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I have recently played a game of Kings of War (KOW) from Mantic Games and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The game is simple, but not simplistic and opens up a wide variation of possibilities for the gamer to explore. It is also fast paced and large games can be played within 2 hours if you know the rules well enough. We played it with Citadel miniatures since many at my club already have painted-up armies, and this got me thinking! Is it possible to use KOW to simulate battle in 15mm and 10mm scale?

The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, not only is this possible, there are certain advantages in doing so which I will discuss.

The most obvious advantage, and possibly the first that comes to mind is that you need less figures at the 15mm scale. The smallest units in KOW usually contain 5 miniatures and are called a troop. Then there are half-regiments with 10 miniatures, regiment size with 20 and hordes with 40 or more. Taking an element at 15mm with 3 figures instead of a Troop you can build up massive armies composed of half regiments, regiments and hordes with fewer figures and cheaper than at the 28mm scale.

An even better and more stunning alternative is playing KOW with 10mm armies. The rules apply as for 15mm, but the fact that there are more models per base per troop gives the game a more 'realistic' feel than in 15mm.

The downside is that if you don't have an army already, it could come out to be more expensive if you decide to build a 10mm army from the GW's Warmaster range. The cost might be more reasonable if you use other ranges like Copplestone, Magister Militum, Eureka etc., but the quality might not be what you expect. As I have mentioned on other posts, it comes down to purpose and intention. It you just want to wargame, the lower quality should not be that much of an issue

Other advantages are that massive games at 15mm and 10mm take up less space and can easily be played on a 6 x4 foot tables with room to spare, and average games can be comfortably fitted on to a 4x4 foot gaming area. It is also easier to transport 15mm & 10mm armies from your home to your club and vice-versa. They are usually lighter and take up (as always) less space.

As for drawbacks there are not many. Some gamers who are also collectors and/or hobbyists who enjoy painting their armies up to very high standards might not find these scales very appealing. Let's face it - they do not fill out the showcase as a well painted 28mm army. It's true!

Another disadvantage at these scales comes with large troop type creatures like ogres, trolls and werewolves. You will have to have at least three models per element at 10mm and two models per element at 15mm. It is not advisable to have just one model, even though the army lists state that you can. A bit of a bummer, but at this scale it does not really make sense to have just one large troop creature. A unit of them make more sense.
Does this bother me - not at all. Personally I have learned to dissociate gaming figures from showcase figures. My armies are painted with basic techniques up to an acceptable gaming standard, and I leave my more artistic endeavors for showcase pieces that include larger scales and dioramas. The bottom line for me is that I want armies to play with and not just admire behind glass, but that is just me.